Newborn haemostasis.

Although reliable haemostasis testing is difficult to obtain in the newborn infant, information gained from such testing is important to the diagnosis of hereditary and acquired haemostatic disorders. Newborn infants are at risk for developing haemorrhage or thrombosis when provoked by various pathological stimuli. Haemostasis screening tests and factor assays must be interpreted using gestational age-specific normal ranges. Frequently, the comparison of several factor assays provides the necessary information to diagnose and treat neonatal haemostatic abnormalities.